His spokesman Jonathan Godfrey later saidÂ that Conyers was referring to himself as “the powers that be.” But unless you believe that “the powers that be” is a novel variation of the editorial “we,” it’s clear that Mr. Conyers wasn’t referring to himself, and that somebody “got” to him.

Should anyone have believed that Conyers really wanted to investigate ACORN? After all, he’s a longtime ACORN ally who until recently resisted callsÂ to probe the controversialÂ group.

In the fall the far-left lawmaker,Â who is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, saidÂ that ACORN (whichÂ helps bring out the Democratic vote)Â was “a long-standing and well-regarded organization that fights for the poor and working class.” ACORN gaveÂ Conyers a 100 percent ratingÂ on its 2006 legislative scorecard, and last summer heÂ received enthusiastic applause as he addressed the group’s national convention in Detroit and denounced U.S. corporations as “capitalist predators.”

Meanwhile, the congressman’sÂ famously hot-headed wife Monica, a Detroit City Council member, pleaded guilty Friday to felony bribery charges. This past February, Mrs. Conyers became an Internet sensationÂ when she got into a shouting match with the presiding officer of the city council and berated him, making fun of his appearance. In an emotional tirade, Conyers called Ken Cockrel, who is bald, “Shrek,” and suggested that he was treating her unfairly because she was a woman.